So Fabulous! Try and look past the awful name.

I’ve spoken before about the awkward, sometimes patronising names that companies come up with for their plus size ranges, and Very.co.uk’s So Fabulous! (with exclamation mark. No kidding) is possibly the front runner in the patronising stakes. Apparently, even if you’re fat you can still be fabulous! WHO KNEW? Oh, everyone. Right.

The So Fabulous! (God every time I type that exclamation mark it makes me sad) range has always been, in my opinion, about shapeless, unforgiving jersey smock tops, and awkward-length khaki skirts. Like every plus size, style conscious woman, I’m always looking for new shops to scour and, ever the optimist, I constantly hope that old shops are upping their game. With that in mind I decided to have a look at the So Fabulous! range ‘just in case’.

Well.

I was shocked. There were still the inexplicable shapeless jersey numbers, and the gaudy patterned maxi dresses, but alongside it were some really, really interesting pieces. The excitement of finding out that there are clothes which I actually like that will fit me, never goes away. So here are my picks for you lovely people.

First up is this lovely floral number.

I’m not always convinced by floral prints, but this dress looks really cool and flattering. It’s crying out for a tan/brown belt. Also, it’s the kind of thing you can wear with opaques in the winter too. Why confine florals to just the summer?

This isn’t really my style, but it really works with slim leg, indigo jeans as pictured. It’s got lots of interesting details too. Perfect for this kind of weird summer weather we have in the UK.

This is more me. Though I’m worried about the quality of the knit; you can see some of the white vest coming through underneath, but since I won’t be wearing it with white, I doubt it’s going to be too much of a problem. Lovely detailing on this and I’m keen to see what the knit quality is like.

Again, not something I would choose, I tend to shy away from stripes, but I like the cut and I think it could be a very versatile top if you’re not frightened of stripes like me.

This shirt is another versatile number. I like the relaxed vibe about it here, but I think it would work equally well with a pencil skirt. I like the idea of playing with volume and pairing loose fitting with close fitting.

Very.com’s main range is also diverse as hell and can go up to a size 24, which is great news. Although it bothers me greatly, some of the ‘celebrity’ lines have great pieces. Look at this Diana Vickers skirt! How lovely!